'''The Diaries of J.R.R. Tolkien''' refers to the unpublished diaries of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. [[Humphrey Carpenter]] was given access to the writings and quoted several passages in his work ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'', noting that Tolkien used the diaries "''chiefly as a record of sorrow and distress, and when ... his gloom dissipated he ceased to keep up the diary entries''".<ref name=Biography>[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]''</ref>

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'''The Diaries of J.R.R. Tolkien''' refers to the [[:Category:Unpublished material|unpublished]] diaries of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]. The manuscripts are part of the Tolkien Papers at the [[Bodleian Library]], a collection which is only open to researchers working under the auspices of the [[Tolkien Estate]].<ref name=Interview>[http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/Wayne_Hammond_Christina_Scull_Interview.php Interview with Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull], at [http://www.tolkienlibrary.com Tolkienlibrary.com], as of 20 September 2010</ref>

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[[Humphrey Carpenter]] was given access to the writings and quoted several passages in his work ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]'', noting that Tolkien used the diaries "''chiefly as a record of sorrow and distress, and when ... his gloom dissipated he ceased to keep up the diary entries''".<ref name=Biography>[[Humphrey Carpenter]], ''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]''</ref> Permission to research the diaries was also granted to [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] for their preparation of ''[[The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide]]'' (a work which also includes several quotes from the diaries).<ref name=Interview/>

==Contents==

==Contents==

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*'''[[January 1|New Year's Day]] [[1910]]:''' "''Depressed and as much in dark as ever, [...] God help me. Feel weak and weary.''" [Entry in the first of Tolkien's preserved diaries]<ref name=Biography/>

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*'''[[1 January|New Year's Day]] [[1910]]:''' "''Depressed and as much in dark as ever, [...] God help me. Feel weak and weary.''" [Entry in the first of Tolkien's preserved diaries]<ref name=Biography/>

*'''April [[1910]]:''' [After seeing Peter Pan at a Birmingham theatre]: "''Indescribable but shall never forget it as long as I live. Wish E. had been with me.''"<ref name=Biography/>

*'''April [[1910]]:''' [After seeing Peter Pan at a Birmingham theatre]: "''Indescribable but shall never forget it as long as I live. Wish E. had been with me.''"<ref name=Biography/>

*[Unknown date, referring to his school years]: "''Did a lot of private lang.''"<ref name=Biography/>

*[Unknown date, referring to his school years]: "''Did a lot of private lang.''"<ref name=Biography/>

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*'''[[1926]]:''' [Carpenter notes that Tolkien wrote "''his diary from 1926 to 1933''" in the alphabet 'Quenyatic'/'Feanorian']<ref name=Biography/>

*'''[[1926]]:''' [Carpenter notes that Tolkien wrote "''his diary from 1926 to 1933''" in the alphabet 'Quenyatic'/'Feanorian']<ref name=Biography/>

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*'''1926:''' [As part of a summary of events of 1925, Tolkien writes:] "''The Tale of '[[Roverandom]]', written to amuse [[John Tolkien|John]] (and myself as it grew) got done''."<ref>{{HM|R}}, "Introduction", p. x</ref>

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*'''?1920s-1930s:''' [On [[C.S. Lewis]]]: "''Friendship with Lewis compensates for much, and besides giving constant pleasure and comfort has done me much good from the contact with a man at once honest, brave, intellectual - a scholar, a poet, and a philosopher - and a lover, at least after a long pilgrimage, of Our Lord.''"<ref name=Biography/>

*'''?1930s:''' [On [[Christopher Tolkien]]:] "''a nervy, irritable, cross-grained, self-tormenting, cheeky person. Yet there is something intensely lovable about him, to me at any rate, from the very similarity between us''"<ref name=Biography/>

*'''?1930s:''' [On [[Christopher Tolkien]]:] "''a nervy, irritable, cross-grained, self-tormenting, cheeky person. Yet there is something intensely lovable about him, to me at any rate, from the very similarity between us''"<ref name=Biography/>

*'''[[1933]]:''' [On the occasion of driving his family to visit relatives in Birmingham:] "''I pass over the pangs to me of passing through Hall Green - become a huge tram-ridden meaningless suburb, where I actually lost my way - and eventually down what is left of beloved lanes of childhood, and past the very gate of our cottage, now in the midst of a sea of new red-brick. The old mill still stands, and Mrs Hunt's still sticks out into the road as it turns uphill; but the crossing beyond the now fenced-in pool, where the bluebell lane ran down into the mill lane, is now a dangerous crossing alive with motors and red lights. The White Ogre's house (which the children were excited to see) is become a petrol station, and most of Short Avenue and the elms between it and the crossing have gone. How I envy those whose precious early scenery has not been exposed to such violent and peculiarly hideous change.''"<ref name=Biography/>

*'''[[1933]]:''' [On the occasion of driving his family to visit relatives in Birmingham:] "''I pass over the pangs to me of passing through Hall Green - become a huge tram-ridden meaningless suburb, where I actually lost my way - and eventually down what is left of beloved lanes of childhood, and past the very gate of our cottage, now in the midst of a sea of new red-brick. The old mill still stands, and Mrs Hunt's still sticks out into the road as it turns uphill; but the crossing beyond the now fenced-in pool, where the bluebell lane ran down into the mill lane, is now a dangerous crossing alive with motors and red lights. The White Ogre's house (which the children were excited to see) is become a petrol station, and most of Short Avenue and the elms between it and the crossing have gone. How I envy those whose precious early scenery has not been exposed to such violent and peculiarly hideous change.''"<ref name=Biography/>

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*'''?1920s-1930s:''' [On [[C.S. Lewis]]]: "''Friendship with Lewis compensates for much, and besides giving constant pleasure and comfort has done me much good from the contact with a man at once honest, brave, intellectual - a scholar, a poet, and a philosopher - and a lover, at least after a long pilgrimage, of Our Lord.''"<ref name=Biography/>

[Unknown date, referring to his school years]: "Did a lot of private lang."[2]

January 1922: "Eric Valentine Gordon has come [to Leeds University] and got firmly established and is my devoted friend and pal."[4]

1924: [Concerning the birth of Christoper: "Now I would not go without what God has sent."[2]

1926: [Carpenter notes that Tolkien wrote "his diary from 1926 to 1933" in the alphabet 'Quenyatic'/'Feanorian'][2]

1926: [As part of a summary of events of 1925, Tolkien writes:] "The Tale of 'Roverandom', written to amuse John (and myself as it grew) got done."[5]

?1920s-1930s: [On C.S. Lewis]: "Friendship with Lewis compensates for much, and besides giving constant pleasure and comfort has done me much good from the contact with a man at once honest, brave, intellectual - a scholar, a poet, and a philosopher - and a lover, at least after a long pilgrimage, of Our Lord."[2]

?1930s: [On Christopher Tolkien:] "a nervy, irritable, cross-grained, self-tormenting, cheeky person. Yet there is something intensely lovable about him, to me at any rate, from the very similarity between us"[2]

1933: [On the occasion of driving his family to visit relatives in Birmingham:] "I pass over the pangs to me of passing through Hall Green - become a huge tram-ridden meaningless suburb, where I actually lost my way - and eventually down what is left of beloved lanes of childhood, and past the very gate of our cottage, now in the midst of a sea of new red-brick. The old mill still stands, and Mrs Hunt's still sticks out into the road as it turns uphill; but the crossing beyond the now fenced-in pool, where the bluebell lane ran down into the mill lane, is now a dangerous crossing alive with motors and red lights. The White Ogre's house (which the children were excited to see) is become a petrol station, and most of Short Avenue and the elms between it and the crossing have gone. How I envy those whose precious early scenery has not been exposed to such violent and peculiarly hideous change."[2]

August 1955: [Notes on his visit to Italy with Priscilla:] : "Venice seemed incredibly, elvishly lovely"[2]; "contrary to legend and my belief, Italians ... dislike exaggeration, superlatives, and adjectives of excessive praise. But they seem to answer to colour and poetic expression, if justified."[6]

Late 1963 or early 1964: [Carpenter notes that soon after C.S. Lewis's death, Tolkien "began to keep a diary, which was something he had not done for many years. In part it was an excuse for using another alphabet that he had invented; he called it his 'New English Alphabet'.]: "Life is grey and grim. I can get nothing done, between stateness and boredom (confined to quarters), and anxiety and distraction. What am I going to do? Be sucked down into residence in a hotel or old-people's home or club, without books or contacts or talk with men? God help me!"[2]

1968-1971: [Carpenter notes that Tolkien kept a diary "for a brief time during [the] Bournemouth years".][2]